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2019 SkollWF - Accelerating Possibility

What is possible? How can humanity accelerate a future that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable? Our collective blueprint for the future must mobilize us all toward an achievable vision of progress. Bold imagination, courage, and community will take us there. In Oxford, we’ll hear from social entrepreneurs and innovators who are building a better tomorrow out of broken systems. We’ll learn from those harnessing the power of collaboration to drive large-scale change. Together, we will unleash a relentless pursuit of the possible.

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Spreading the Good News: How to Tell Impact Stories in the Digital Age
Hashem Selph - Soul Pancake , Dariush Brizuela-Nothaft - Soul Pancake , April 23, 2019
Social media and short videos are critical ingredients for storytelling today, but how can organizations break through the noise and reach their target audience? Join this workshop to walk through…
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Is It Possible to Measure Systems Change?
Social entrepreneurs, funders, business, and civil society leaders want to create systemic impact. But how can we best measure progress towards systems change? In this interactive workshop, participants will dive…
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Fighting for Fairness: Investing in Local Solutions
Solomon Benge - Fundi Bots , Atti Worku - African Visionary Fund , Andy Bryant - Segal Family Foundation , April 23, 2019
When we say “Accelerating Possibility”, who gets to decide what that possibility looks like? Many in the philanthropic and social entrepreneurship ecosystem strive to elevate local leaders and local solutions,…
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Feeding 10 Billion on a Warming Planet
Usha Barwale Zehr - Mahyco , Willy Foote - Root Capital , Debra Dunn - Stanford University , Agnes Kalibata - Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa , April 23, 2019
The global food system is responsible for one third of greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, climate disruptions are projected to lead to a 17 percent reduction in crop yields by 2050--the…
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Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights
Tanya O'Carroll - Amnesty International , Megan Smith - shift7 , Elizabeth Hausler - Build Change , Dunstan Allison-Hope - Business for Social Responsibility , Babusi Nyoni - Individual , April 23, 2019
As the uses of artificial intelligence grow exponentially each year, there is a possible future where AI exacerbates injustice, deepens societal divides, and becomes a tool to violate or deny…
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Aligning Inner Wellbeing with External Impact
Terry Gilbey - Esalen Institute , Cheryl Fraenzl - Esalen Institute , April 23, 2019
Our modern world is a paradox: we are more virtually connected to each other, but many would say that we are less connected personally. For those on the front-lines of…
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Preventing a Lost Generation of Refugee Youth
Sherrie Westin - Sesame Workshop , Preethi Nallu - NewsDeeply , Muzoon Almellehan - UNICEF , Essam Daod - Humanity Crew , April 15, 2019
According the UNHCR, there are 25.4 million people currently registered as refugees, and over half of them are under the age of 18. These numbers will continue to grow as…
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What’s the Role of Men and Boys in the Gender Equality Movement?
Katja Iversen - Women Deliver , Judith Bruce - Population Council , Gary Barker - Equimundo , Elizabeth Nyamayaro - United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women , Dakshitha Wickremarathne - Youth Advocacy Network Sri Lanka , April 15, 2019
As the #MeToo movement continues to dominate global headlines and SDG 5 to achieve gender equality by 2030 seems out of reach, many are asking: what role should men and…
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Opportunities Story Studio: Emerging Leaders Initiative 
Zinah Saleh - Ishtar Handmade Soap , Sonia Ben Ali - Urban Refugees , Shantanu Pathak - CareNx Innovations , Sekou Dgeorges Manubah - Monrovia Football Academy , Sarah Zak Borgman - Jeff Skoll Group , April 15, 2019
Realizing opportunities requires both imagination and courage. This lunch session features the next generation of social entrepreneurs, selected worldwide as part of the 2019 Emerging Leaders Initiative. Listen to their…
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Possibilities Story Studio: Emerging Leaders Initiative 
Melissa Bime - Infiuss , Madeline Holland - Talent Beyond Boundaries , Ifrah Mohamed Arab - SuperMom , Edith Naisubi - AgriSan , Blessing Mene - Vetsark Limited , April 15, 2019
This lunch session will explore ways the next generation of social entrepreneurs are reimagining what’s possible. Listen to diverse changemakers from around the world, selected as part of the 2019…
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Town Hall: Can Art and Culture Accelerate Change?
Tanya Selvaratnam - The Federation , Judy Kibinge - Sundance Institute , Jennifer Pahlka - Code for America , Indhu Rubasingham - Kiln Theatre , Holly Gordon - Participant , April 15, 2019
Can art catalyze positive social change? Does culture drive or reflect the collective values of societies? This interactive town hall forum will examine these questions from a critical perspective using…
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From Farms to Forests: Land Rights as an Impact Multiplier
Ralph Regenvanu - Republic of Vanuatu , Isidoro Hazbun - Amazon Conservation Team , Francisco von Hildebrand - Gaia Amazonas , Jennifer Corpuz - Nia Tero Foundation , Chris Jochnick - Landesa , April 15, 2019
From smallholder plots to indigenous territories, people depend on land to survive. Evidence links secure land rights to bigger, better, and faster development outcomes. Still, it’s an often-overlooked lever for…
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Accelerating Systems Change: Making Possibility Real
Social issues are more global, complex, and interdependent than ever. While social innovators continue to drive progress in specific areas, systems change requires an approach that unearths the root cause…
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2019 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship
Join us for the emotional highlight of the week—our celebration of the 2019 Skoll Awardees. We’ll honor five remarkable social entrepreneurs from around the world who truly embody the spirit…
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2019 Skoll World Forum Closing Plenary
Christiane Amanpour - CNN , Chiwetel Ejiofor - Individual , Kumi Naidoo - Africans Rising , Pat Mitchell - Pat Mitchell Media , Jess Search - Doc Society , April 15, 2019
Systemic social change requires reimagined narratives that reshape mindsets. Our species is hardwired to learn through stories. How does the power of storytelling advance social impact and mobilize us toward…
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Journalists Under Fire
Jason Rezaian - Washington Post , Joel Simon - Committee to Protect Journalists , Yvette J Alberdingkthijm - WITNESS , Pat Mitchell - Pat Mitchell Media , Anas Aremeyaw Anas - Tiger Eye Foundation , April 15, 2019
Around the world, freedom of the press continues to be threatened, and journalists are at risk of being silenced, jailed, and even killed. At a time when seeking and sharing…
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Filling the SDG Funding Gap with Blended Finance
Samuel Choritz - United Nations Capital Development Fund , Kola Masha - Babban Gona , Jim Polan - US International Development Finance Corporation , Alix Lebec - LEBEC, LLC , Achim Steiner - United Nations Development Programme , April 15, 2019
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, private financing and access to blended finance is not only critical but required; the public and social sector simply cannot reach the…
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Not Just for Laughs: How Comedy Sparks Change
Omri Marcus - Screenz , Fenella Kernebone - TEDx , Erika Soto Lamb - Comedy Central , Caty Borum Chattoo - American University , April 15, 2019
Laughter is a universal language. Globally, comedy can be a powerful voice for change: speaking truth to power and shaping public opinion and social norms. Comedy can challenge the status…
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Scaling Health Solutions Through Government Partnerships
Thabelo Ramatlapeng - Kingdom of Lesotho , S. Olasford Wiah - Government of Liberia , Lisha McCormick - Last Mile Health , Erin Worsham - Duke University , Abera Leta - Partners In Health , April 15, 2019
For many social entrepreneurs working towards universal health access, government partnership is a critical strategy for achieving systems-level change. Partners bring unique value to the table but forging effective and…
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Is Philanthropy the Solution or Part of the Problem?
Rodney Foxworth - Common Future , Ella Gudwin - VisionSpring , Deval Sanghavi - Dasra , Edgar Villanueva - Decolonizing Wealth Project , Catherine Cheney - Devex , April 15, 2019
The world of philanthropy is no stranger to critique, but over the past year, the field has weathered sharp and sometimes scathing criticism. Many agree that philanthropy can and should…
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Unleashing Conscious Capital
Sean Hinton - Terbish Partners , Perry Chen - Kickstarter , Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter - Skoll Foundation , Bart Houlahan - B Lab , Jacqueline Novogratz - Acumen , April 15, 2019
While investors are deploying more capital than ever in socially and environmentally responsible ways, there is still an expectation that impact investments must produce a market rate return. In 2019,…
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Rewriting the Rules for an Economic System that Serves All
Shamika Ravi - Brookings Institution , Roger Martin - Martin Prosperity Institute , Kate Raworth - University of Oxford , James Mwangi - Africa Climate Ventures , April 15, 2019
The current global economic system fails to serve everyone. Over the last 40 years of hardy global economic growth, income inequality within countries has grown, leading to political turmoil. There…
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Architecting Inclusive Cities
Moitreyee Sinha - citiesRISE , Smruti Jukur - Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centre (SPARC) , Mohammed Adjei Sowah - Accra Metropolitan Assembly , Geci Karuri-Sebina - South African Cities Network , Chris Underhill - BasicNeeds , April 15, 2019
By 2050, the global urban population will double, and nearly seven of every 10 people will live in cities. This exponential growth brings challenges for equality and inclusion, yet surfaces…
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2019 Skoll World Forum Opening Plenary
Anab Jain - Superflux , Ai-jen Poo - The National Domestic Workers Alliance , Sarika Bansal - BRIGHT Magazine , Peter Drobac - Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship , Prince Gyasi - Boxed Kids , April 15, 2019
We often find ourselves impatient with the pace of social change. As our community convenes, we’ll explore how global leaders, thinkers, and doers Accelerate Possibility. We’ll consider the growing sense…
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2019 Skoll World Forum: Facebook Live Conversations
Robyn Park - Skoll Foundation , April 8, 2019
At the 2019 Skoll World Forum, we hosted a series of live conversations—led by award-winning journalist Emily Kasriel—with social entrepreneurs, innovators, and thought leaders on Facebook Live, off the main stage.…
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Starting on the Margins: An On Being Conversation with Darnell Moore
Krista Tippett - On Being Project , Darnell Moore - Breakthrough , March 25, 2019
Join us for a deep exploration of the structural and intersectional forces that keep people on the margins with activist Darnell Moore and On Being’s Krista Tippett. An award-winning writer,…
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Introducing the 2019 Skoll World Forum Speakers!
March 1, 2019
We're thrilled to announce CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour; domestic rights activist Ai-jen Poo; Amnesty International Secretary-General Kumi Naidoo; actor, writer and producer, Chiwetel Ejiofor; futurist and filmmaker Anab…